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Senior Seminar: Elements of Style

Punctuation Examples:
Conjunctions
– The flame-tipped torch hit the ground, dispersing tongues of fire in every direction: first, the withered leaves claimed victim to this engulfing force, and then the bark of the trees, or was it the circuitry of their roots that bore the heat before the trail of fire inflicted the bark? – I was too flustered to take a moment and notice the fire’s growing direction; I just ran toward the river with my head down, and with my thoughts in all disarray.
– When I arrived at the bank of the river, I looked around in a staggering fashion. I was frightened at the appalling sight of a large brown bear, and its swatting paws for migrating salmon, and the rising inclination that I may have to confront death either by the approaching forest-fire or by this hungry bear.
– So there I was, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Thoughts raced across my mind: should I run up the river in hopes to find a safe passage across to avoid this bear, or should I retrace my steps back to where I was and dodge the flames toward the clearing of the forest, or should I take my chances and ask this bear for some help, actually believing that he is Smokey the Bear and would grant assistance in this matter.
Omission of Conjunctions
– I felt weary, exhausted, feigned from the absence of sleep.
– The rays of sunshine, the chirps of birds early in the morning; I knew I was alive.
– The left eye opened, then the right, the act of yawning commenced as I arose from the ground.

Items in a Series
– From the last time I saw you, August of 2008, I used a hammer and a ladder, a few rusty nails and a broken bottle to catch the falling sun, and replace it with my good intentions.
– Unfortunately for me, I left the table saw, the plank of wood with your name on it and my careful attention to detail back at the shed. So I guess what I am hanging up against the sky is my own contentment.
– The sun was so blinding, I lost my balance and I fell off the ladder, over the rails of the deck, through a couple of awnings (not to mention stories), and landed in the bed of shrubs just below. The hammer and the bottle, and the nails along with the ladder all followed, but they did not hit me; for that I was happy.
The Correlatives
– Both of them, not either one, but both of them had the appetite of a famine-inflicted country. Neither of the two asked for a drink, nor had the decency to use a fork and knife when I gave them their own dinner plate.
– Although rude I thought, it was part of the circumstance that they, among the famished and hungry of the streets, needed to eat to regain their spirit and strength.
– After dinner, the hobos were not only satisfied, but intrigued with what I had given them to eat: what was left from last night’s spaghetti and meatballs.

Coordination
– Peering into the gaze of the wildebeest and feeling the cold rush of terror overwhelm his bewildered senses brought the impression of death upon the boy, yet he was not inclined to leave the beast’s realm, but stay and stare back.
– The beast just sat there and looked upon him with reluctant aggression. The boy just waited and waited and waited until an opportune moment presented itself to escape the beast’s captivating stare.
– Wondering what will become of him, the boy decided to move graciously across the terrain toward the beast, not to attack it, but to confront this enigma towards a peaceful solution.

Elements of Style Exercises:

Methodical Description Using Syntax and Diction
The hunter retracted the arrow until the fletching was in close proximity to his face. Neither touching his cheek, nor obstructing his line of sight, poised in just the right position. And with his breath yet controlled due to the pursuit of the doe, he took a moment; but not too long, for his heart rate to slowdown and for his trenchant aim to freeze into alignment. There was a silence, as if time stood still. However, what could be heard was only the hunter’s breath as it made contact with the recently released arrow, now traveling at a lethal velocity. All the while, the dear was none the wiser.

Comments:
First conjunction is correlative to distinguish the scrupulous action; emphasizing the hunter’s skill and focus. Third sentence begins with “and” to link the focus with the challenge he faces – running. “Yet’ is placed to give a sense of continual time elapse. The semi-colon followed by “but” indicates the urgency of this encounter and how time is crucial to making the shot. “And” (correlative) just links two clauses together making it one in the same moment. “As if” (subjective) is there to dominate the moment just before the release of the arrow. “However” emphasizes this as well as separating the silence from the hunter’s breath. “All the while” makes a large picture, wrapping everything up that has happened before the doe meets its death.

Describing a Non-Corporeal Element
It is unmotivated to move, yet allows movement to happen through its space. It holds precedence to serenity, yielding a relationship to the expression “dead in the water” without a ripple of disturbance. It requires a void to exist and receptively, it’s always open for interpretation. It’s quiet, quite the clean slate for a chaotic mind to retreat into sanctuary. Noise is defined here, just as it is heard, a pure state for any frequency to flourish absolutely. The presence controls the perception of sound where uncontrolled variables are comprehended and identified by one of the five senses. The moment of every pause is when it reveals itself. It has no density compared to corporeal objects and organisms, yet surrounds the empty pockets of air devoid of any type of recognition. It is a piercing numb. It is silence.

Restaurant Review
Angelo’s Fairmont Tavern of Atlantic City serves delectable chicken parmesan, a dish that has the essential nuances of what makes this Italian restaurant unique. Through the front aged-wooden doors is the bar, welcoming any patron with a background display of various vintages of wine. The host provides a hospitable greeting along with an escort to the dining area. What lies beyond is a catacomb of additional dining areas that eventually lead to the second and third floors, each with its own distinct ambience. A personal nostalgic element derived from Italy serves as a flourishing pervasion that settles in as the arrival to the table is met, leading to the piece of resistance; the chicken parmesan.
With a choice of linguine, angel-hair spaghetti or pennoni pasta to serve as a bed for the breaded home-spiced chicken breast; it’s covered with a tomato sauce that could have been directly transported from an Italian kitchen. The first bite after slicing through the tender crispy entre explores new depths of the taste buds. It will indulge the intellect in believing the Mediterranean awaits the setting sun just outside the window pane. According to the pasta or spaghetti selection, it only varies the method of consumption, but keeps the critical chemistry intact that makes this an Angelo’s chicken parmesan. The dish is unique in the effect of not only how it tastes but also how it is served. Appetizers only prepare for the oral carnage, and the selection of beverages will have the local bars losing business. To each is their own, however if interested in an Italian home-styled chicken parmesan; look no further.

Town News Today Article:

Free Wine Tasting
The Wine Chateau is hosting a wine tasting event tomorrow that starts at 5 pm.
Two of the many wine companies that will be available for testing are the Chloe Wine Collection and the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company. Both are based in California, with the former having Italian wines as well.
A Pinot Grigio will be offered from these two collections that have separate distinct characteristics. The Chloe Wine Collection’s Pinot Grigio is a cross breed wine that uses grapes from Monterey County and the Russian River Valley. Where the former area mentioned of its origin provides the rich sweet taste of wild strawberry, plum, and cherry, the latter seduces the aroma to a thrilling spice that includes spearmint leafs.
The Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company will enthrall the taster toward its signature Soul Sister Pinot Grigio that shows its splendor in a ruby red. The dark and smoky wine is concocted from the distilment of cherries and strawberries, thus yielding its lush color. A hint of vanilla grants a smooth finish.
There will be a grand selection at your disposal which includes a variety of Pinot Grigios, as well as Chardonnays, Cabernets, and Sauvignon Blancs. Among the whites and reds, other companies will have their best for tasting. 13 Celsius, a winery that produces a fine Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, will be present. It holds a citrus aroma that resonates to a crisp finish, accompanied by an elegant herbal sweetness. This is a noteworthy item due to its restrictions in certain states of the United States.
In conjunction with the venue being at the Wine Chateau, its online source is also in tandem with the event. Admission is free and proper identification is required. The specific location of the event is 1380 Centennial Ave in Piscataway, and all functions of the event end at 9 pm.